After I finished putting the last punctuation on my last blog I took off to a dear friend of mines house as we prepared to go to Las Vegas. Our trip was filled with lavish drinks, dancing for hours, roaming the neon lights by the falling and rising sun. I even took a little gamble myself. I’d say I probably broke even on the food I chose but lost a couple of dollars along the way. Here’s my little get away, the food and the fun.

We left the valley at about 1230 to get on the road my friend Katie has a beautiful 18 month old son who was staying with his grandmother for the weekend while we had a little adult time. I believe fullheartedly every mother needs a good second hand every once in a while so they are able to have time to themselves, though I’m sure she was thinking about him the entire time. That’s what a good mom does. We drove up about 5 ½ hours and we were arrived at about 6 pm. I drove into the city to our hotel resort which was the Paris Hotel centered in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. We checked in and were on our way up to our room on the 7th floor. We had two queen sized beds and a beautiful view of the pool and Eiffel Tower they contrasted to build this French dream.

The ladies were off to take a trip to visit their uncle so I had a couple of hours to eat dinner. I dine solo on occasions, it gives me the time to think about what I’m eating but solo dinning isn’t for just anyone. There are pros and cons to anything, as is such for eating alone. I love sharing the food experience which is why I blog but eating with others is also an experience you can truly see what candid expressions and thoughts are of the other people you are eating with. But I decided that this trip to Vegas might be my chance to reacquaint myself with some Italian food. If you know my past experience as Executive Chef you know I worked for a Northern Italian Cuisine for over 3 1/2 years and so I have a very high expectation of Italian food and for the most part I cook it on my own. I still can’t bare to buy a plate of pasta, I don’t think I’ll be able to really anywhere but there are some things I just desire which are mostly Italian cured meats, thin style Italian pizzas, calzones, aged balsamic and Sicilian Extra virgin olive oil. If I had a pizza oven at home and a fridge in my garage believe you me I’d never have to go anywhere for Italian food except if your Italian grandma was making me something to eat or a couple of other people I know. But I decided to give Vegas a chance to change my mind and to tell you the truth it didn’t!

After the girls headed to visit with relatives I lounged in the hotel room stretching my legs from the lengthy car ride took a hot bath and got ready. I walked from Paris where we stayed to the Palazzo where I decided to have dinner. There are always so many places to go in Vegas, I get overwhelmed but I have passed by CARNEVINO many times and thought it might be a good choice. This is Mario Batali’s Steak House in Vegas. I love the concept of and Italian steak house it is one of my ideas for future restaurants.   While I wasn’t in the mood for a 51 dollar Bone in New York Strip Steak I wasn’t expecting service from any old restaurant either and unfortunately the latter is what I got.

I walked in to CARNEVINO a lavish and brilliantly built gorgeous restaurant. Low lighting and tond of people were keeping me from seeing the intricate details of the lay out of the restaurant.  There were people waiting outside and the bar and restaurant were very full I kindly asked the hostess for seating for one she brushed me off and said its first come first serve in the bar. Okay sure no problem its Saturday Night no reservations I was expecting about that. I rushed over to a seat thinking on my way out I’d be able to look around the dining room. Good hostesses are hard to come by I guess even in Las Vegas. So I sat myself in the bar at a small table people watching and looking over at all the noisy slots of the casino, I finally felt like I was in Vegas. My waiter approached me after about 15 minutes but still I wasn’t upset I was having a good time looking at the restaurant. I was asked if I’d like a drink I promptly asked for menus and a minute to decide. Looking over the menu of this restaurant is mind blowing. The amount of effort that goes in the type of wine list this place has compiled is brilliant. Those details are the things I wish to remember. The food menu was simple creating classic dishes from around Italy and also providing a large selection of high grade meats and other menu additions. I was also given a bar menu which had a good selection of the items on menu as small plates. I like to try different things so if I get one plate at a restaurant of this caliber it’s extremely rare. I also knew that later on I would be going out dancing and a giant steak and something really heavy was going to be a horrible idea.

So I looked over the menu for a while and finally was greeted by my server again and asked what the farmer’s market cocktail was for the evening. After stumbling over his words about 4 times he finally had to go ask what the cocktail was. I was so displeased with this stammering, this should not of happened somewhere like this. I know people have bad days and things aren’t always amazing but if you can’t tell me the evening cocktail that’s not looking very good for you. But finally when he did get it out the drink was a lovely mixture of cucumber, heirloom sage, ginger bitters and gin. It was refreshing and perfect. I really enjoyed everything about the cocktail even if it took 20 more minutes to get.

After I got my drink I ordered but first had a simple question which was what meats where on the Affettati Misti, is a plate of mixed Italian Charcuterie. I love charcuterie so much, I worked in a deli for longer than I ever wanted to but it was amazing how much I learned about meat and cheese. The waiter really had no idea what was on the plate at all. He stumbled over his words some more and I figured I would order it anyway because I’ve wanted bresaola and coppa for a while now. Also on this platter were Salami , Prossuito, and Mortadella. I also ordered a side of asparagus with garlic, thyme and guanciale. Guanciale is pig cheek that is unsmoked and cured. After I ordered I was sipping my cocktail and look around about 10 minutes later my waiter came back to the table and asked me to repeat my order to him. At that point I was trying to dismiss it but it was pretty much just the fact that this guy could care less about me as a customer. With all my questions I would expect him to be a little more attentive but apparently not.

My Affettati Misti and Asparagus finally came to the table

I could eat a giant mortadella and coppa sandwich for the rest of my life, the meats were sliced very thin just as they should be the mortadella was pressed very well and not waxy which was really wonderful. Bresaola was beefy and slightly sweet. Coppa was fatty and salty and the Salami was softer and different then I’d ever had. The plate was well rounded with a sweet peperonata, a couple of Shishito Peppers that were roasted and salted, and a larger pickled yellow pepper stuffed with cured ham and goat cheese. When you get a board of meat its common knowledge that you describe what the person is eating. Not for this waiter. By this time I was texting one of my best chef friends Brandon telling him that I can’t believe I decided to have Italian food for once and this is the kind of service I’m getting. It really did blow my mind. I looked over at my asparagus which was 12 dollars mind you for asparagus but I figured I really wanted Guanciale I haven’t had it in a long time and when I look at the asparagus there is really nothing to it there was maybe a small slice of garlic, barely any time, and a speck of Guanciale. I take a bite and the asparagus is over cooked and flavorless, like boiled salted nothing. How disappointing. My waiter came back and I informed him he didn’t ask to make it over or if I wanted anything else he just committed to taking it off the bill which was fine.

I finished my meat platter and was asked if I’d like anything else I kindly informed him no thank you. He brought my check which he then over charged me for my meat platter and when I told him about it he said he had served me the entrée sized portion though I pointed to the affettati on the bar menu. He didn’t say he would fix it or anything. I paid and left him 2 dollars for some of the worst service I’ve gotten in a very long time. I could have wanted to see a manger but honestly it didn’t seem worth it to me. I think Brandon said it best…. “Mass production! Generic! Orange shoes says it all” So much more passion and heart should go into something so beautiful as Italian food with the amazing ingredients and potential this place could have, the simple things that don’t need much. The experience overall was just dull and flat, not like the beautiful luster of ltaly I’m so used to. I hope I just had a bad night there but this experience had too many things wrong with it that made me not even care to see what the rest of the place looked like or take more pictures.

I say Learn something from everything,  I’m glad I had my Affettati and my cocktail but I think next time I’ll just go to the deli make a selection of meats and sit outside with my own Gin Cocktail and enjoy.

I have a couple more restaurants to talk about, dancing, and drinking…

So to be continued…

Cheers
Unrivaledkitch

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